


The Impostor

by WindMeister8



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Office, F/M, Ghosts, Haunting, Heart Attacks, Interns & Internships, Office, Work stress, haunted, impostor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-04 19:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11561577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindMeister8/pseuds/WindMeister8
Summary: If you're a ghost, I'm marrying a ghost.Silly thing, really. How is that even possible? At least that’s what I thought at the time when I saw the quote in a newspaper article about a girl’s devotion to her recently dead fiancée. I dismissed it as some pretty, poetic way of saying she loved him. Soon to be forgotten. Soon to move on.But life is funny that way. I guess I don’t have the last laugh, do I?





	1. Death

_If you're a ghost, I'm marrying a ghost._

_Silly thing, really. How is that even possible? At least that’s what I thought at the time when I saw the quote in a newspaper article about a girl’s devotion to her recently dead fiancée. I dismissed it as some pretty, poetic way of saying she loved him. Soon to be forgotten. Soon to move on._

_But life is funny that way. I guess I don’t have the last laugh, do I?_

 

People often say I laugh too much. Even for no reason. Apparently, it makes me look inferior and like a push-over. I guess I am in a sense. It’s sort of a boon and a bane at the same time for my line of work. On one hand, it makes me approachable. On the other, it causes people to not take me seriously.  But to me, it’s a way of masking my insecurities.

Laugh it off. Just laugh it off….

“Wow really? You’re a marketing intern at that large company?”

Letting out a good-natured chuckle, I replied, “Yeah, I am!”

The large-sized barista threw his head back in a guffaw, pointing at me as he did. “I never figured you for that.” His laughter finally subsiding, he frowned. “Are you sure you can handle the job though?”

There it was again. I snorted, waving a hand to dismiss his concerns. “Yeah yeah it’s totally fine.”

Was it? Subconsciously, my left hand rubbed the back of my neck as a familiar crick crept up. I was barely a month into the internship and already, the pressure was on. Everyone in my department were so suave, so intelligent, so confident. The other interns came from prestigious schools and all of them were dressed smartly every day. I looked down at my oversized, faded blazer and pants. Maybe that’s why even Cole is worried that I can’t do it. I just don’t fit in.

Leaning over the counter, Cole gestured towards me to come nearer. I hesitated for a split second before moving closer. He cupped a hand to his mouth and whispered, “Did you know there was someone from that same company who died here not too long ago?”

A gasp escaping my lips, I took a step back in shock. My eyes darted around the small café, wondering what monstrosity could have taken place here.

Seeing my reaction, Cole laughed and shook his head. “It’s not that dramatic. Apparently, the guy had a heart attack and before the ambulance could arrive, he was dead.”

I sighed in relief, glad that at least it wasn’t a murder or something. “Who… who was he?” 

“I don’t know much. He was a regular during dinner time. Wasn’t one for talking. He used to sit there and work on his laptop.” Cole pointed to a seat in the corner. “Right there.”

“He was old then?”

“Oh no no. He was a young guy, probably a couple years older than you.” Cole frowned as he reached for the takeaway coffee cup that his colleague had placed on the table beside him. “I guess you don’t know about it. It’s a big company after all.”

“No no… I.. I don’t,” I murmured, wondering whether it was someone I had passed in the corridors or had greeted. 

“Anyway, here you go!” Cole held out the cup, grinning.

Snapping out of my daze, I smiled and thanked him. The cup was warm to the touch as I wrapped my hand around its body. On cold winter days such as these, black Earl Grey tea was the best. It was my evening fix before I walked back home to that small, dreary one-bedroom apartment that I rented.

As I stepped outside, the blustering wind blew straight at me, taking my breath away. Gritting my teeth, I wrapped my hands around my precious cup, letting its warmth seep into my cold skin. Raising it to my lips, I took a small sip, instantly relieved as the warm liquid burned its way down my throat. Filled with more energy, I trudged across the street, ignoring the bustling evening crowd around me. 

It was a Friday and people were going out for social events. Well, everyone except me. I was simply exhausted, wanting nothing but a nice long rest. The weekends weren’t free for me since I had deliverables to hand in the following Monday. But just for tonight, I wanted a short break. Maybe I could even watch a short movie. A small smile growing on my lips as I got lost in my thoughts, I raised the cup up a bit too high.

I exclaimed in pain as the hot liquid scalded my lips. A hand hurriedly pressed to my mouth, the other flung the cup away from my body as I nursed my wounds, my head bent downwards. Realizing too late that the tea would spill, I righted the cup to a vertical position, looking up as I did.

My eyes widened in shock. In front of me was a flickering visage of a man, his body totally transparent save for the tea stains that seemed to hover in the air. I stared uncomprehendingly, my mouth hung open. The man’s outline then sharpened, although his body was still translucent. He was looking right at me, his lips curled nastily downwards in disgust.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I could hear his voice, see his lips move correspondingly with the words… I shook my head, unable to comprehend what was taking place right now. Was this a magic trick?

I stuttered, “W-wh-what the hell me?? W-wh-what the hell are you???”

He frowned. “You can see me?”

And that’s when I lost it. Everything turned black, my legs giving in under me. This must be what it feels like to be crazy…

 

The cold icy touch on my skin was what snapped me back to consciousness first. My eyelids fluttering, I thought I must either be in Heaven or back at home, having forgotten to turn on the heater. But as my blurry vision cleared, I noticed the falling snowflakes and then…

I scrambled up into a sitting position, my eyes staring wide at the apparition in front of me. The same man was still there, staring at me with disinterest. My veins turned cold, and not because of the temperature. He _floated_ towards me and I hastily backed away, crawling away from him until my back hit a wall.

Whimpering, I stared at him in horror as he drew nearer. He squatted down – or rather moved down, who knows – his arms on his knees as he studied me. I couldn’t even close my eyes, fearful of what he might do. My heart was racing so fast that I felt like it would just burst out of my ribcage.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mean you any harm,” he said.

Too stunned to even reply, I just looked at him, my eyes wide. A ghost. I was seeing a ghost. A real one. In front of me. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I get it. You’re scared. I’m Levi, okay. And yes, I’m a ghost. I don’t know why but I was attracted to your tea and so, I ended up following you. I couldn’t leave the coffee shop before but somehow, I managed to. Might be the power of that tea.”

I could hear each word clearly but I couldn’t seem to string it together. My… tea?

“Well.” He looked me up and down. “You seem to be alright now… more or less. So I’m just going to leave.”

Watching him float away, my fear subsided. But then, the air buzzed as a crackle of electricity struck the man. He winced, backing away quickly as he cautiously studied the part of air he had touched. My eyes followed him as he traveled every which way – up, left, right. Each time, an invisible barrier seemed to prevent him from moving away.

My heartbeat was slowly returning to normal but as he came back towards me, it picked up again. He stopped a few feet away, crossing his arms over his chest as he sighed in exasperation. 

“Well, great. Bad news is I’m stuck with you.”

I sputtered, “Wh-what?”

“If you didn’t see already, I can’t seem to move more than 30 feet away from this spot.” He snorted. “Believe me, I don’t want to be stuck with you either. Of course if you don’t trust my words, we can conduct a few experiments... But otherwise..”

He looked me in the eyes. “You’re going to be seeing a lot of me.”

 

So there it was. A ghost who got tea spilled on him ended up following me back home. What a great story to tell in a bar. It took me days to believe that Levi was real and not a figment of my imagination. But he proved to me, by moving objects and playing tricks on people, that he was an actual ghost.  

Those were the roughest days. On the first night, I got so paranoid that I didn’t even go to the bathroom or catch a wink of sleep. After loads of reassuring from a very annoyed Levi, I finally went about my daily routines but not without slipping a paranoid sideways glance at him. Setting ground rules helped a lot, ensuring that I still had my privacy and I grew more confident that this ghost attached to me was at least a responsible man in his previous life.

Going out with Levi was also odd since only I could see and hear him. If I accidentally spoke out loud or stared at him, people gave me weird stares until I finally learnt how to mask my behavior. Talking to him was easy. I just needed to whip out my phone and pretend to have a conversation. Looking was more difficult. But we figured that out by having Levi appear in front of me as much as possible. It was terribly awkward to have a ghost constantly facing you but it worked out better that way.

We talked a lot, trying to figure out why he was still a ghost, why he was attached to me. The first question I asked him was whether he knew how he had died. He replied me with a deadpan expression, “Tea poisoning.”

I almost choked on the tea that I was drinking, spitting all the liquid out until he told me he was joking. He got a tongue lashing from me then, but I found out he was terrible at making jokes since he didn’t really smile. We figured out soon that he was the same guy who Cole had told me about earlier, which implied he had died from a heart attack. Why that was the case, Levi said he couldn’t recall since he didn’t have any medical issues.

At work, I would walk around with him, seeing if anything or anyone would jog his memory. He remembered some faces, some memories, but nothing that helped. We found out he was a pretty big player in the research department, one of the leading minds actually. Still, nothing useful.

Of course, I still had to go about my own life. But having Levi around actually made it so much more enjoyable. It was like having my own personal confidante twenty-four hours a day. That is, a confidante who chided me constantly. Within the first week, he had picked up on my self-esteem issues and berated me for letting myself and other colleagues think so lowly of my skills.

Levi was crude but beneath his admonishments, he constantly reinforced the fact that I was much better than what I let myself believe. It wasn’t easy to change my perception but he did things only a ghost could do. He showed me the sources that my colleagues used, the notes that they took, and even their GPA scores in school. All were no better than what I had, he pointed out.

The only difference between me and them was the way I presented myself, from what I wore to how I talked and moved. But I resisted the idea of change, saying that I liked the way I was. It took a lot of coaxing and threatening before I finally gave in and went to a clothing shop to buy office wear that fitted me and was decently priced. He helped me pick out the outfits too, of course. And it was only after we got home that he confessed to having rigged the cashier such that I only had to pay 50% of the price.

By that time, I had gotten pretty suspicious about all his “illegal” or unethical activities. Proving something to me was one thing, but stealing money was another. I asked Levi to come clean with me about whether he ran an illegal organization or something when he was still alive. His expression dropped as he sighed and rubbed his eyes. Not looking at me, he spoke in an exhausted tone about how he remembered his life to be. He painted a picture of utter dreariness and loneliness, a life where he couldn’t recall having many pleasant memories. To him, this new ghost life was a fresh start. 

“A chance to do whatever the fuck I wanted to do,” he had said. “Without responsibilities, without consequences.” He then looked me in the eye and added, “I don’t want to see another young brat walk down that same path.”

To say I was touched was an understatement. So overcome with emotion, I teared up, leaning on his shoulder as I did, since I had the special privilege of being able to see and touch him to a certain extent. But my tears fell through his translucent body, eliciting a small sigh of irritation from Levi as he gently patted my back.

Understanding his side of the story, we then upped our game even more. We agreed we wouldn’t do anything illegal anymore but that didn’t mean Levi couldn’t do small tricks. I let him run wild with his imagination and boy, was it fun!

He messed with some of the more arrogant and bossy colleagues by changing a few words in their reports or presentations, turning them into laughing stocks. Once, he had gotten so mad at one particular guy, and tripped him as he gave a speech. That had me laughing for hours later after the end of work. Seeing my colleagues in a new light as they fumbled and made mistakes really changed my opinion about them. They were no longer someone who ranked above me but someone who I could speak to confidently like a peer. 

Even my bosses and the company’s sponsors were not exempt from Levi’s torture. Of course, he didn’t go too wild with them but during my presentations, he would try to inject a little ghost magic on something they ate – a banana, or a doughnut perhaps. It was akin to the poisoned apple in tales about witches but this was decidedly light-hearted and for some reason, apples were never involved. Apparently, Levi didn’t like apples.

As the ghost magic did their job on making the bosses happier and more lenient, he would hold my hand throughout the presentation. It served both as a deterrent for me to raise my hand to the back of my neck, as I always did when I was nervous, and as a soothing gesture to remind me that I was doing alright. Undoubtedly, both the bosses and my colleagues were impressed with my work and by the time my internship was close to an end, I was pretty popular within my department.

Life was great. I was doing well in my work, my colleagues treated me well… and I loved having Levi around. He was probably the one person, or rather, ghost, who always made my day. The way he turned my sadness and anxiety into his crudely worded jokes never failed to put a smile back on my face. 

It was like the burden on my shoulders was slowly lifted off. And I felt that it was the same way for him too. The Levi I knew from a few months back who hardly ever smiled, now smirked and laughed umpteen times a day. Seeing that small smile tug at his lips always warmed my chest. And when he laughed in that low, sultry voice of his…. my heart would do a million summersaults.

I don’t know when it was that I realized I was more than in love with Levi. But even if I wanted to believe that he reciprocated my feelings, I didn’t want to affect what we already had. Besides, we were basically living together! What more could I ask for…

But then again, he was not of this world. He had to pass on….

“(F/N)?”

Jolted from my thoughts, I looked up. “Yeah?”

Levi studied me with concern, his intense gaze sending a flutter through me. “Are you worried about the presentation? You’ll be fine alright. I’ll be right by your side like always. Just think of it as a normal everyday talk to the fucking stupid boss.”

Snorting, I nodded. “Thanks for giving me that mental image.”

I smoothed my blazer down, patting out the wrinkles. Exhaling softly, I looked around the small preparation room. The table at the corner was filled with small tidbits and coffee but I was in no mood to touch them. It was my final presentation to wrap up my internship results and the big bosses would be there to listen to it. This would decide whether I got a satisfactory report… or not.

But as Levi said, there was nothing to worry about. I’ve been doing well and with Levi by my side, it would be just like normal. I snuck a sideways glance at him. As expected, he was wearing his usual disinterested expression, his back against the wall as he folded his arms across his chest. He always exuded that aura of confidence and seeing him that way boosted mine as well.

I was ready.

Just then, the door to the adjacent conference room opened with a slight squeak, admitting a middle-aged man dressed in a tailor-made suit that perfectly fitted his muscular body. His face, although boyish, held many wrinkles and even his hair had turned white. If I hadn’t known him, I would have estimated his age to be near the big six digit rather than the forty seven years of age he was.

Bowing my head slightly, I walked towards him and extended my hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir. I’m (F/N) (L/N).”

His grip was strong and with a single pump of his wrist, my entire arm was jerked up and down in the handshake. “Nice to have you here. As you already know, I’m the Director of the company.”

I nodded, smiling, even though on the inside, I was trembling slightly. His words were cool and collected but just looking at his expression and body language was enough to intimidate anyone. His gaze was deadlier than a shark’s and his jaw was set firmly, his lips a thin line across his face.

“Well,” he added, “I’ll help myself to some coffee if you’ll excuse me.”

As he headed towards the table without waiting for a reply, I quickly shuffled away, merging with the background. My nerves were in a bundle again, the fear of being scrutinized by this person in just ten minutes returning to haunt me. 

I looked towards Levi, hoping that he would summon my inner courage. But seeing his expression, my eyes widened in surprise. His aloof composure was totally gone. One hand pressed to his mouth, the other wrapped around his stomach as his body doubled over. His gaze glued to a spot on the floor, the fear reflected in his grey orbs terrified me.

Holding his arm, I whispered urgently in his ear, “What’s wrong?”

“Hmm?”

My head shot up, immediately realizing my mistake. The director fixed me in a hard gaze, his eyebrows raised at my odd behavior. 

“Oh it’s err.. nothing,” I quickly stammered, my hand instinctively moving to the back of my neck, rubbing it as I faked a small laugh. “I was just rehearsing for the presentation.”

Eying me a second longer, he finally clicked his tongue in what seemed like disgust, his lips turning downwards in a slight sneer. He glanced at his Rolex watch, and noting the time, he gulped down the last of the coffee and tossed it in the trashcan. 

“Anyway, good luck, Ms (L/N),” he addressed me again. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you from your bosses..”

“Thank you, thank you,” I murmured, my head bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

“… so don’t disappoint me.”

Looking up, I stared at him, incredulous at his blunt attitude. The past few months here, I had experienced so much berating to the point that I was used to it… but his words certainly took the cake. To say I was appalled at him was an understatement.

Digging his left hand into his pockets, he continued, “Recently, there have been many disappointing cases in the company.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “The most disappointing being the young Levi Ackerman.”

My breath caught in my throat. Lips opening and closing, my voice came out as barely a whisper. “Levi..”

Mistaking my reply as a question, he waved his right hand in dismissal. “A research scientist. You probably don’t know him.”

My feet rooted to the ground, I watched as he headed towards the door before pausing, his hands on the door handle. With his back half-turned to me, he added, “Don’t end up like him.”

I barely caught the slight quiver in his bottom lip before the door closed behind him, leaving me alone in the small room. Exhaling a breath I didn’t even know I was holding in, I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to steady myself. The whole encounter had left me shaken but there were more pressing matters…

Turning towards Levi, I hurried back to where he stood. He had recovered slightly, his hands were now on his knees, his locks of hair shielding his expression.

“Levi? What happened?”

He expelled a long breath before slowly straightening up, his eyes distant as he turned his gaze to me. “That man… is…” Levi corrected himself. “was my father.”

Blinking, I looked towards the door and then back at him. “But… his surname is not Ackerman.”

“I took my mother’s surname, not his.”

My hand finding my mouth, I took a deep breath, muttering, “Oh my god” repeatedly.

“I think I remember now…,” Levi said slowly. “How he forced me to be perfect at everything. Studies, sports…. You name it. I couldn’t be good. I had to be great. Nothing left to chance.”

He shook his head. “I wanted to break free of his shadow. Surprise him. Make him fucking proud.”

Hearing him speak so softly, I didn’t dare breathe lest it disturb him from his stupor. 

“So I worked. I worked so damn hard on my research because I saw a potential.” His voice shook in rage. “But it was so difficult to convince those close-minded idiots. I failed… so many fucking times.”

Hands balling into fists, he took a deep breath. “The patent application was my last attempt. I was going to show him that I wasn’t a failure. I wasn’t a useless piece of shit that wasn’t worth the investment.”

My lips drawing into a thin line, I had a mental picture of me beating the hell out of Levi’s father but shoving it aside, I listened attentively. 

“And then… that day in the coffee shop... after so many sleepless nights of waiting. The results came out.” Levi ran his hands through his hair. “It was rejected.”

“One word. My entire world crashed. The pain….” His voice wavered. “I had no purpose. I… lost it.”

He held his hands out, staring at them as if for the first time.  

“I died.”


	2. Rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(AU Note: For maximum effect, listen to[this](http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=oQ47YPP7Ir0&s=163&e=415#Most_Emotional_Music_Ever%3A__Ocean_Foam__by_Cicada))**

_I died._

With those two simple words, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The entire mystery of Levi’s death was suddenly unraveled after months of probing.

I wobbled unsteadily, my legs turning to jelly. It was just too sudden. Levi’s dad was the director… and… a rejected patent triggered his heart attack?? Taken out of context, anyone would have laughed at how ridiculous it sounded. But I knew exactly how Levi must have felt. The stress, the pressure… both from the work environment and his own father. It was a hundred times worse than what I had experienced as merely an intern.  A hand clutched to my mouth, I felt tears well up in my eyes. 

Such a bright, young man…. A man I would have loved to have known while he was still alive. Worked to death. By his own father, no less. 

I didn’t even have time to process everything when a knock on the door called my attention away. The lady secretary poked her head in, signaling to me that it was my turn to enter the conference room. Her words echoed distantly in my mind and I absently dipped my head in acknowledgement.

Once the door closed, Levi spoke quietly, “I… I’m sorry, (F/N). I can’t go in there with you. I just… can’t.”

My spirit plummeted, the anxiety I had pushed down for so long now slowly crawling up. Gulping, I tried to ease my fears. I had to be strong for Levi. He had done so much for me. It was the least I could do for him.

Summoning a brave smile, I held his shoulders. “It’s alright. I’ll be fine.”

My heart clenching as I noted how vulnerable he looked, I added, “Just… wait for me, okay? We’ll figure this out together.”

Only then did he look up, his eyes seeking comfort in mine. His lips curving upwards slightly, he nodded. Seeing traces of the old Levi resurface, relief washed through me. My hands dropping from his shoulders, I turned around and with a deep breath, walked out the door and into the conference room.

I had been in here so many times before but never had it been this crowded. My fellow interns sat near the front, followed by colleagues, bosses, and then… the bigger bosses. Right at the end, elevated above the audience, were the big three, including Levi’s father. I could see his intense gaze burn into me, even though I was more than thirty feet away from him.

Walking up to the podium, my hand found the mouse, dragging it across the pad as the little arrow pointer moved to the presentation file. My fingers trembling a little, I forcefully double clicked on the icon, opening the document. Behind me, the screen showed my title slide with my name and project title on it.

This was it. I closed my eyes, forcing all thoughts about Levi’s death to one side. Instead, I recalled what Levi taught me. In my mind, the room cleared, its occupants replaced by straw dummies. Levi was there beside me, holding my hand as usual. 

That’s it.

My eyes opening, I gripped the microphone that was placed on the podium and strode towards the center. Clearing my throat, I gave the opening speech, introducing myself and greeting my audience members. I smiled, I gestured, I maintained eye contact with the audience. I could do this.

Questions were asked but I had prepared well, delivering my response politely and precisely so that their concerns were immediately addressed. Levi had coached me well. The satisfied expressions of my bosses told me as much.

And just like that, the twenty minutes of my allotted time passed by in a blink of an eye. Inhaling, I asked, “Any more questions?”

Silence greeting me, I moved on to the final portion of my presentation. It was the most boring part but everyone was required to say a few words regarding their experience during the internship. As I flicked through the pictures on the slides, my lips simply reciting the words I had memorized, my eyes wandered around the audience. Most of them were looking somewhere else, fiddling with a pen, or even discreetly talking amongst themselves.

They were eager to get out of here and I felt the same. Then, my gaze rested on the director. Levi’s father. He had his phone out, his fingers dancing across the screen. As I watched him, I saw his eyes roll, his lips opening slightly in a sneer, probably relishing in some poor person’s misfortune. My fingers clenching into a fist, I bit down on the swelling rage in the pit of my stomach. 

But the longer I observed him, the harder it was to maintain a calm demeanor. My voice wobbled, struggling to contain the fury that threatened to escape. I was getting to the end of my slides but I didn’t feel any joy at seeing the finish line in sight. It had all dissolved into blind rage at the one person who had single-handedly drove the one person I loved… to death.

Clicking to the final slide, I opened my mouth only to close it again. I had forgotten my lines. Looking to the audience, no one had seemed to notice. They didn’t care whether I thanked them. They didn’t care whether I enjoyed my time in the company. They just didn’t care.

That was the last straw.

Raising my voice, I brought the microphone closer to my mouth. “Normally, I would thank the company for the opportunity but… I won’t.” Emphasizing the last two words, I noticed several audience members perk up, turning their attention back to me.

“I showed pictures of people laughing and having fun… but there’s a lot I didn’t show.” I paused for effect. The combination of the difference in my tone and the proximity to the microphone was working. The soft murmurs died down, the soft backlight of cellphones disappeared.

Satisfied that I had their attention, I continued, “I didn’t show the moments of weakness when my fellow colleague and friend broke down in front of me.”

I lowered my gaze to the blonde girl in front of me. She gulped, bowing her head down. Turning my attention back to the audience, I gestured to the two hot-headed male interns in the second row. “Neither did I show the fight that broke out because one claimed credit for an idea the other had.”

The guys shifted uneasily in their chairs but didn’t disagree. Inwardly smiling at their discomfort, I placed both hands on the microphone. “And we all know of the big incidents. The sabotage case… or the falsifying results claim… or the case where someone died of work stress.”

My eyes came to rest on the director. I wanted him to know that I was talking to him, and him alone. This message was to him. 

“You might say this was their individual problem. It was their character, their ethics.” I shook my head. “But I beg to differ. These were decent people, with clean records. They had no reason to do what they did… except one.”

“I’ve been here long enough to experience just a portion of what they have gone through and I can say for sure that it’s not us.” I spread my arm wide. “It’s this environment.”

In the stunned silence that followed, I studied the expressions of my audience, letting what I had said sink in. No one in the history of the company had dared voice out against the company’s principles or rules for fear of losing their job. But I could care less at this point in time. All I wanted was for one person to know what he had done.

Jabbing a finger down, I punctuated my words firmly. “This company has emphasized productivity and individual credit to the detriment of the employees’ mental and emotional health. It has brought out the worst in all of us. And for what?”

“We’re human, just like you. Call me naïve but there are so many other different ways of running a company that emphasizes team work and team spirit that are able to achieve the corresponding results.”

From the corner of my eyes, I caught a few colleagues nodding imperceptibly. The friend whom I had called out earlier sat upright, a determined look on her face. As my gaze met hers, her lips tugged upwards in a smile, encouraging me to continue. 

My strength boosted even more, I focused my attention on the the men in the last row, my eyes raking over each one of them. Their expressions of surprise varied from indignation to complete horror. Reaching the last person, my gaze lingered on Levi’s father. Of all the people in the audience, he seemed the least fazed by my speech. His lips were pursed in a thin line, his dark grey eyes boring into me. But I knew there had to be some flicker of emotion in him. If not, I was just going to have to tear that out.

“Do you have any remorse?” Ignoring the gasps that broke out in the audience, I forged on. ”For what you’ve done to your employees? To your own flesh and blood?”

His eyes widened a fraction, the only reaction I had gotten out of him so far. But that by itself was proof that I had touched a nerve.

My gaze on him, I said softly, “You know who you are.”

Seeing his lips parting as if he wanted to interrupt me, I quickly wrapped up my speech. “I may fail this internship for what I’ve said but I don’t regret it. I really do hope that the company reconsiders its stance. Not just for its employees… but for the ones that have been lost. Thank you.”

I gave a deep bow, before straightening up. There was no applause, not even out of courtesy. No one dared to show outright support for me. But as I walked towards the exit, some of my fellow colleagues flashed me signs of gratitude. A thumbs up, a smile, a wink. And I knew my job was done.

 

Like really done. What was I thinking??

Burying my head into my hands, a guttural moan of helplessness escaped my throat as I rocked to and fro on my heels. Waiting for the results in the preparation room was even more stressful than before. I couldn’t hear what the bosses were deliberating about but I was sure I would fail. I couldn’t believe I had said all that… just an hour ago. All my hard work just flushed down the drain by my streak of impulsiveness. That wasn’t like me at all!

Standing in front of me, Levi snorted. “I thought you said you wouldn’t regret it. After all that grandeur, and now you’re acting like a coward?”

“Stop rubbing salt into my wounds,” I groaned, grimacing at his words. “I think there’s enough salt in it to fill an ocean.”

Levi clicked his tongue, his lips curving into a smirk as he lifted his hand in a dramatic slow motion. Thinking that he was going to playfully smack me, I cowered, my eyes squeezed shut. Instead, I felt a cool sensation on my scalp. My hands dropping, I opened my eyes to see Levi gently patting my head, a soft smile on his face.

“Thank you,” he said. “For what you did in there. I’m really proud of you.”

A flutter of warmth dancing across my chest, I tried to hide the large smile that stretched from cheek to cheek. Seeing those gentle grey eyes so close in front of me, I found myself once again lost in its depths, all my worries morphing into... well, something else.

Levi’s hand dropped to my cheek, caressing it lightly with his thumb. His eyes downcast, he sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you, (F/N).”

I shook my head vehemently. “No, no. It’s fine, Levi. It was about time that I did it by myself. After all..” Grinning up at him, I winked. “I had a great teacher.”

His eyes widening in surprise, he scoffed. “Of course I am. But you were my best pupil too.”

My cheeks warmed in response, and not wanting him to feel it, I turned my head away. “Oh stop it.”

Suddenly recalling what had brought on my spur of reckless behavior, I jerked my gaze back to him. “Wait, Levi, how are you feel-“

The creak of the door cutting me off midsentence, I hurriedly closed my mouth. The director who had just walked in, raised his eyebrows, his face pinched in disgust.

I hurriedly gave a small laugh and waved it off. “Ah that was umm… I was just err…” Struggling for words, my eyes darted across the room, landing on the leftover refreshments where a misplaced banana laid on top of a doughnut. “…making a joke! Umm… to relax myself.”

Cringing inwardly at the poor excuse I came up with, I waited with bated breath as the director fixed me in a stony gaze. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever before he grunted in annoyance at my peculiar behavior. 

“I’m here to give you the results, Ms (L/N),” he said in a monotone voice as he held a piece of paper out.

My relief at not being called out for my odd actions quickly faded into fear. Gulping, I nodded and accepted the paper with both hands. My fingers were trembling, the printed words on the page dancing in front of me as my eyes skimmed across its content at lightning speed. The beating of my heart increased to a ferocious roar until at last, my gaze halted at the last word printed at the bottom of the page.

**PASS**

I blinked twice, unable to believe the four letters I was seeing. Exhaling shakily, I looked up questioningly at the director. “Wh-why…”

“What?” He said curtly. “You performed your job consistently well and despite what you said at the end of your presentation, there’s no doubt that you did an excellent job.”

A wide smile spreading across my face, I covered it with my hand. Relief washed over my body, the tension of the past few hours finally gone. I could almost cry of happiness but instead, I cleared my throat and offered my hand. “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it.”

Taking my proffered hand in his, he shook it firmly. “I have to say, you almost didn’t make it though.”

My breath caught in my throat, a sinking feeling accompanying my previous euphoric state. As he released my hand from his grip, it fell limply to my sides. The smile on my face disappearing, I waited in bated silence for him to continue.

“You went severely out-of-line today and the committee was half-decided on whether to give you a passing grade. But… you made it by one vote.” He paused, staring at me intently. “I was the deciding vote.”

Inhaling sharply, my eyes widened in shock. Of all the people, I figured he would be the one dead against me. How could this be?

“Didn’t see that coming, did you,” he said as he dug his hands into his pockets. “I’m not an irrational person, Ms (L/N). What you said earlier, although poorly worded, had some sense in it.”

“I’ve been running this company for a great many years. All I see in my board room are numbers and charts. It’s easier that way. But because of that, I’ve become… immune to the human aspect of it. So I guess I must have inadvertently put unnecessary pressure on all of you,” he continued.

I didn’t dare nod, afraid of breaking whatever impression he had of me. But inside, I couldn’t help but rejoice at the victory, no matter how small it was. For such a successful man to admit his mistake in front of a nobody like me… it took a great deal of courage and humility. Even if he seemed to be saying that begrudgingly.

“…including my son, Levi too I guess,” he added. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Levi’s eyes widening, his hands clenching and unclenching by his side. I gulped nervously, knowing that this moment was crucial. If Levi wanted closure, it all depended on what his father was going to say next. Silently, I prayed for him, my fingers crossing behind my back.

“I don’t know how you found out that Levi was my son.” The director threw me a curious look and I held my breath, hoping that he wouldn’t figure out I was talking to his dead son. 

Waving a hand, he continued, “But I guess rumors fly around easily.”

I expelled a long breath, tilting my head to the side in a noncommittal gesture. But as I snuck a glance at Levi, my heart constricted at the pained expression on his face. I wanted so much to hold him in my arms and comfort him, but I knew that was not what he needed. What he needed could only come from the man in front me.

Gathering my courage, I cautiously ventured, “Umm actually… I did know… Levi for a bit. And umm… pardon me for saying this but he used to say how much he hated you. Or rather how you treated him.”

The director’s eyes widened, his lips pursing into a thin line. Hurriedly, I rephrased my words. “I’m sure you did what you did out of love but he didn’t quite see it that way.”

The silence that pervaded the room had my stomach in knots, and I was starting to curse myself for even breaching the subject when the director spoke up again, his voice softer than I had ever heard it.

“I guess it makes sense why he would think that. After all, I was a bad father,” he uttered quietly, his eyes distant. He ran a hand through his thinning hair. “I was raised that same way by my own father but I never saw the errors in his teaching… until it was too late.”

His stoic expression fading into weariness, he let out a short exhale as his hand fell to his side. I watched as his aloof demeanor simply melted away, exposing a side that few had ever seen. A side that was vulnerable and very much human. 

“I just wanted Levi to be successful like me,” he whispered, his voice breaking at the last two words.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, wanting to comfort him somehow but I understood that a proud man such as him would resent such a gesture. My gaze fleeted to Levi instead. Since his father had started talking about him, Levi had floated closer and closer until he was barely an inch away from him. His eyes glistening, Levi rested a hand on his father’s shoulder, pressing his head to the older man’s broad back.

Seeing him reconcile with his father, I felt the prick of tears behind my eyelids. But I hurriedly blinked it away as the director brought his gaze back to me. He had regained his composure although I could glimpse the residual sadness that still flickered in his eyes.

“It’s too late to turn back the clock,” he said before flashing a genuine smile. “But I can still do something for my employees… and interns like you. I really appreciate your honesty the hard work you’ve done for the company.”

He extended a hand towards me. “So a job will be waiting for you… if you want it.”

My mouth fell open. Stuttering, it took me a second before I recovered and quickly shook his hand vigorously. “Thank you, sir. Thank you… so much.”

The director’s lips curved upwards in a smirk at my reaction. “Well, good luck for the rest of your studies and I hope to see you again.”

I bobbed my head up and down, smiling broadly like a Cheshire cat until the director turned and walked out the door. Waiting for a couple more seconds until I felt the coast was clear, I squealed in excitement, jumping up and down. 

“Levi! Did you hear that??” I exclaimed.

Smiling, he ruffled my hair. “Congrats you little punk.”

But before I could continue, he lifted a finger to my lips, silencing me. 

“Let’s celebrate at home, not here.”

Grinning, I nodded enthusiastically, unable to keep still on my feet. Good things come in threes after all, right? Could this day get any better??

 

Three glasses of wine later, it was still getting better. Slightly intoxicated, I hiccupped as I finished reliving the presentation in front of Levi. I dropped down onto the couch, still laughing, my cheeks a tinge of pink. A few drops of wine spilled on the floor due to my momentum and I heard a tutting sound from Levi. Looking to my left, I giggled at his annoyed expression, pointing to him as I did.

“(F/N).”

“Alright, alright,” I waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ll clean it up later.”

“(F/N).” He placed his hand over mine. “I need to tell you something.”

Noticing the serious look on his face, I straightened up, placing the glass of wine on the table as I looked nervously at him. “What is it, Levi?”

“I want to thank you for what you said to my father,” he began and before I could interrupt, he lifted a finger up. “I’ve always thought I resented the mean bastard… but I guess deep down… I was just hurt.”

He looked down, his grip tightening on my wrist. Gulping, I raised my hand to his cheeks. Tentatively caressing it with my fingers, his cool ephemeral skin sent goosebumps down my arm. I whispered softly, “It’s ok, Levi.”

Bringing his gaze back up to me, he smiled. “I feel very much at peace now because of what you did.”

“So… it’s about time I leave, (F/N).”

My body froze, the joyful lightness of my soul suddenly brought crashing down. I should have known this was coming. He couldn’t possibly stay here forever with me. But… some part of me had hoped that he would. I bit my lower lip to hide the slight quivering, forcing a small smile. “I’m happy for you, Levi.”

Retracting my hand, I extended it to him instead in a formal handshake. “Thank you for everything.”

Levi hesitated before taking it, his fingers gently enveloping my hand. “Well, I had a lot of fun with you, brat. Probably the most fun in my whole shitty life.”

I managed a laugh, although tears immediately sprung to my eyes. Hurriedly wiping it away with the back of my hand, I sniffed. “You’re the best ghost I’ve ever met, Levi. I’m glad you chose to haunt me.”

Giving my best smile, I looked at him through blurred vision, the tears barely held at bay. Already, I could feel his hand getting colder to the touch and I knew he was leaving.

Levi gulped hard, shifting closer to me. “I… never had many friends even when I was alive. And of course no time or energy for romance. So I always found it odd why I latched onto you. But… I just want to say this before I leave.”

“I…” he started, his words caught in his throat. “I..”

My heart swelled in bitter sweet anticipation, knowing what he wanted to convey. The dam of tears finally breaking, I let out a strangled cry. “I love you too, Levi.”

Exhaling in relief, he broke into a smile, his eyes dancing in happiness. As he moved closer, he cupped my chin, his thumb gently wiping the tears that streamed down my cheek. I gazed lovingly into his stormy grey eyes, memorizing every feature of his face and committing it to memory. As he leant down, I closed my eyes, a tear escaping from its confines. His cool lips meeting mine, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, running my hands through his hair.

It lasted just a short few seconds but it was enough for me to remember the taste of his lips, the slight blush on his cheeks, and the loving look in his eyes. But all too soon, his visage was fading, the lines blurring away. Pressing a last kiss to my forehead, he whispered, “We’ll meet again, I promise.”

“How will I find you?” I choked out, my hands gripping his shoulders even as it grew softer to the touch.

“How did we meet the first time?”

A tiny chuckle escaped my lips. “I’ll make sure to spill tea on you.”

Only his face still visible now, he gave one last smile, his words ending in a whisper in the breeze that followed.

“I’ll see you again…. brat.”

 

Those four words… I’ve hung unto ever since. 

People might say I am crazy if I told them about him. But I know he was real. His portrait still sits on my bedside drawer, his grey eyes always watching me as I sleep. In my dreams, I can feel him beside me. In my memory, that one kiss we shared is never forgotten. 

No matter what societal pressure I face, I’ll never go on a blind date. Because my heart has already been claimed. And as long as it’ll take, I’ll keep on repeating those words again and again because it is now my love story.

 

_If you are a ghost, I would still marry you, Levi._

_I’m waiting._


End file.
